After completing his second stint in rehab, Corbin heads home to Riverview, determined to leave the music world behind and focus on his family, his songwriting, and his sobriety.

Crippled with debt but determined to make it on her own, Jolie Daniels pours her heart and soul into the town's bookstore. When Corbin finds his debut album in Jolie’s discount bin, sparks fly between the pretty bookstore owner and the rock star musician.

Corbin knows he’s nowhere near good enough for a sweet girl like Jolie . . .

But he wants to be.

When a record label approaches Corbin with the chance to make a musical comeback, he doesn’t think twice before saying no. He’s ready to settle down, and he wants to do it with Jolie. However, when her beloved bookstore is threatened with foreclosure, Corbin finds himself signing a contract that will take him away from home and back on tour for three months.

Can Corbin resist the temptations of the tour? Or will the loneliness of the road resurrect all the demons he’s worked so hard to bury?

It felt good to be writing songs again—even if he was the only one who
might ever hear them.

Well, he and Jolie.

When Corbin let it slip that he’d been writing, Jolie begged him to
bring his guitar to the river the next afternoon.

“The fall leaves are beautiful,” Corbin said, gazing at the mountains
in the distance.

“They are. And you’re stalling.”

He couldn’t deny it. Corbin had never been one to be nervous about
sharing new songs, but for some reason, this seemed different. Important.
Meaningful. Maybe because the inspiration for these songs was sitting right in
front of him, with her long hair in a braid and her green eyes bright with
excitement as she eagerly awaited whatever he was about to play for her.

“I mean, there’s a very good chance they’ll suck. I just want you to be
prepared. And I want you to be honest if they are.”

“They won’t suck.”

“How do you know?”

“Because they won’t.”

Corbin sighed heavily and pulled his guitar out of its case. Her faith
unnerved him, maybe because he was used to letting everyone down. The very last
thing he ever wanted to do was disappoint her.

Jolie must’ve sensed his anxiety, because before he placed his fingers
on the strings, she gently reached for his hand.

“Don’t be nervous. It’s just me.”

Corbin smiled and squeezed her hand. She had no way of knowing it, but
these days, it was her opinion that mattered most.

Taking a deep breath, he attached the capo to the neck of the guitar
and strummed a few strings to make sure it was in tune.

Then he started to sing.

One song effortlessly flowed into the next, with Corbin’s soft tenor
voice echoing across the water. He kept his eyes closed or on his guitar the
entire time, too afraid to see Jolie’s reaction to the music. It was only when
he played the final note in his last song that he finally allowed himself a
glance at the beautiful woman sitting in front of him.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“I know they’re rough,” he said, his voice shaking slightly as he
placed his guitar back in the case. “I’m still struggling with the bridge in
that last one. My fault, since I wrote it that way. I was thinking maybe I
should cut it out completely or—”

“Corbin—”

“And in the first song . . . the chorus needs some work.
I’m thinking maybe trying it in a different key or something. I don’t know.”

“Corbin James, shut up and listen to me.”

He took a steadying breath and gazed at her.

“I loved them,” she said softly.

“Yeah?”

“Every single word. Every single note.”

Corbin lifted his hand and trailed his fingers along her cheek, wiping
her tears away. He heard her breath hitch in her throat as he leaned closer. He
knew it was risky. Kissing her could ruin everything before it even had the
chance to turn into something . . .
something that might be incredible and wonderful and life changing.

It was a chance he had to take.

Not kissing her simply wasn’t an option.

Not anymore.

Jolie’s eyes fluttered closed as he cupped her cheek, letting his nose
glide against hers. With a quiet sigh, her lips parted in silent invitation,
and he couldn’t help but smile when he felt her tremble against him.

“This could change everything,” Corbin whispered, kissing the hollow
just below her ear.

“I hope so.”

Their arms wrapped around each other, and Corbin buried his face
against her neck, inhaling deeply and drowning in her sweet scent. She moaned
softly, and it was that moan that finally broke him.

Corbin had every intention of kissing her gently, but her moan,
combined with her hands pulling him impossibly closer, sent his body into
overdrive, and they both groaned when his mouth hungrily captured hers. Frantic
and sweet. Frenzied and tender. With quiet sighs and gentle whispers and warm
arms that held each other tight, they laid back against the autumn grass and
kissed until the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

Sydney Logan writes heartfelt romances that feature strong women and the men who love them. In addition to her novels, she has penned several short stories and is a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul. She is a Netflix junkie, music lover, and a Vol for Life. Sydney and her husband make their home in beautiful East Tennessee.

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